A Haunting Preview
by Kairi the Strong
Summary: In which Six and Evelyn Smythe investigate London and a Police Box on a cloud. Featuring The Sixth Doctor, Eleventh Doctor, and Big Finish companion Doctor Evelyn Smythe. Pre-Snowmen for Eleven. One-shot. Also, please forgive, first time writing Six. And Evelyn.


Any Time Lord worth his Tardis would be able to feel the gloom radiating over London. It was no surprise, then, that it took the Doctor a few moments to recognize the feeling of a mourning, angry Time Lord. "That's odd… Come along, Evelyn, it's time we investigate!"

Following the Doctor, Evelyn sighed, adjusting her hold on her handbag. "And what is it that we are investigating, Doctor?"

"Can't you feel it?" He asked in disbelief. "You humans, can't sense a thing."

"If you're going to go on about your superiority, I'd rather just wait in the Tardis."

"My superi- My SUPERIORITY? You obviously don't understand what it is that this could mean."

The woman tutted. "If you would explain then."

The Doctor didn't answer, instead striding into the park. He looked around curiously, eyes narrowed before his eyes drifted upward. "Aha. A perception filter." Reaching up, he grabbed on to something and tugged it down. "A ladder. Time Lord technology and they go with an invisible ladder."

Evelyn smiled indulgently. "Sounds like something you'd do, Doctor. Are we going up?"

Nodding, the Doctor pulled himself up the ladder, getting up a bit before looking down at his companion. "Will you be alright with this, Evelyn?"

"I'm not _that_ old."

"Yes, yes, Dr. Smythe. No need to be cross." They continued to climb, eventually reaching a spiral staircase. "Oh my. Evelyn, perhaps you should take the lead from here. Wouldn't want you to fall."

She nodded in agreement. They continued their ascent and the sight waiting at the top made the professor's eyes widen and her breathe caught. "Oh dear… Perhaps we should go."

The Doctor shook his head. "What is it, Evelyn? I can't see!" He pushed past her gently and froze in horror. Standing majestically on the cloud was the Tardis. "No… I can't be." Striding forward, Evelyn right behind him, The Doctor slammed the door open and stormed in. "What is the meaning of this! Show yourself!"

The console room, so familiar yet foreign, was dark and empty. The silence was chilling, more chilling than the thin air outside. The pair went deeper into the room, the only sound being the Doctor's angry mutterings as he slid a hand over the central console. The door swung close, causing them to jump. Evelyn could only make out a vague outline of the stranger, thin and nearly as tall as the Doctor.

The man moved out of the shadows, not looking at them. "You shouldn't be here. We're creating a paradox, breaking the laws of time." He spat bitterly. "Go down and forget this ever happened, that you ever saw me."

"Now wait one moment! I will not sit idly by while you allow our Tardis to fall into such disrepair!" The Doctor roared. "It is intolerable!"

"Our Tardis?" Evelyn asked. The stranger froze, back to them, as the Doctor nodded. "Yes. This would appear to be one of my future incarnations, not one I'm familiar with, though."

"Evelyn..? Evelyn Smythe." He turned, eyes wide, and stared at the woman softly. "It is…" His eyes hardened, glaring at the other Time Lord. Evelyn felt dread pool in her. This later Doctor knew. "You made her climb all the way up here. Don't you know how dangerous that could have been for her? You could have killed her!"

The Doctor bristled. "She couldn't have fallen off the ladder, I could sense the precautions for that and I had her go up the stairs before me so I could catch her if she slipped! How was I irresponsible!?"

"Evelyn has a bad heart!" Her Doctor seemed to deflate at that. The other kept going. "And you're too caught up in yourself to notice! Don't expect any favors from the Universe, either, because it doesn't care. It takes everything and gives nothing back."

That seemed to reinvigorate the blond. "Oh for Rassilon's sake, get a hold of yourself! The universe is what all of this is for. It's why we're here. It's why we've been traveling for so long. Yes there's loss along the way, but think of what life would be like if we'd stayed on stuffy old Gallifrey."

The other Doctor flinched at the name. "How young you are." He sighed, brushing his hands over the controls. "So very young."

Evelyn's Doctor chuckled. "We both know I'm not."

"Yes you are." Despite the young appearance, the newer Doctor's age seemed to hang over them. "Look, go back to your Tardis and leave. You'll forget about this, about Evelyn's heart, and about the Doctor on the cloud."

In an odd act of compliance, the Doctor nodded. "Very well. I do not approve, mind you, but I will leave you alone to wallow. Come along, Evelyn."

The woman looked between the two. "In a moment." She moved to the younger looking one and pulled him into a hug. "Chin up, Doctor. Have some cocoa and a slice of cake."

He smiled sadly at her, not caring his past self was watching. "I recall you saying not everything can be fixed with cake and cocoa."

"Perhaps not. But it can help. Goodbye."

"Nonsense. It's never goodbye, Professor Smythe. You'll be with me for a while yet."

Evelyn smiled as he kissed her on the cheek. She and her Doctor exited, and descended quietly, the encounter slowly fading from their minds. The next morning cycle of the Tardis, as they sat down for breakfast, The Doctor gazed pensively at her. "Evelyn, do you feel as if we've forgotten something?"

The woman sighed good naturedly. "Well, it was supposed to be your turn to cook." She smiled at the Doctor's halfhearted excuses, not realizing herself that an entire night's memory was fuzzy.


End file.
